Things people do that irritate you when you go to the zoo? #2

NMM said:
Completely agree with ApeLadyNZ's post above.

I find it quite disheartening how many times I hear parents display their ignorance to their enthusiastic offspring. Even if the parent doesn't know what the animal is, how hard is it to look for the sign? A recent example was a kid asking their Dad what a particular animal was. It was a roan antelope. Their Dad's answer was "A big thing" before hurrying the kid along to the next enclosure. Even worse are parents who tell kids they are wrong when they are right. Another recent example, kid "Look at the tigers": Kid's Mum "They aren't tigers, they are lions". They were tigers. Occasionally I do see parents try to seek out a sign to answer the question.

I also agree that sometimes you can get bizarre behaviour from people you wouldn't expect it from. I have recently seen two middle aged couples mooing at banteng.

Most of my zoo visits are at weekends due to work, but I do like to take some time off to visit zoos during the week outside of school holidays. Fewer people around the popular exhibits. Much easier to get something to eat to as places are usually rammed at weekends unless the weather is poor.
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Absolutely, a lot of this behaviour is, quite simply, baffling. And what you've said about being able to get nearer the popular exhibits on non-holiday weekdays was spot on. My favourite animals at our zoo are the orangutans, and they are one of the most popular exhibits of the entire zoo. But I was lucky enough a couple of years ago to get a day off on World Orangutan Day which fell on a Friday that year, and the weather was chilly and drizzling, which meant the orangutans mostly sat close to the viewing window in their comfortable nests. It was amazing being that close to the orangutans, especially their little baby, and for a while it was just me and them! It's well worth it coming at an off-peak time to get an amazing experience like that!
 
People's behaviour at zoos doesn't surprise me much anymore but I was in a nocturnal house with aye-ayes and lorises this summer, not crowded, when this ten year old kid showed up and turned on his phone flashlight directly in the eyes of the loris resting peacefully in its enclosure?! His mom came up to him and didn't say a word, just looked at the creature, both found it boring, and moved on. Those flashlights hurt on human beings, imagine being a nocturnal animal getting an eyeful. What do you think the exhibit is dark for anyways?
 
juxgirl said:
People's behaviour at zoos doesn't surprise me much anymore but I was in a nocturnal house with aye-ayes and lorises this summer, not crowded, when this ten year old kid showed up and turned on his phone flashlight directly in the eyes of the loris resting peacefully in its enclosure?! His mom came up to him and didn't say a word, just looked at the creature, both found it boring, and moved on. Those flashlights hurt on human beings, imagine being a nocturnal animal getting an eyeful. What do you think the exhibit is dark for anyways?
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That is terrible behaviour! I have seen similar idiotic antics at Auckland Zoo's kiwi house. Staff members step in to stop it when there is one present, but there aren't always volunteers stationed at that part of the zoo. And a lot of the culprits are adults and older teens who are definitely old enough to know better!
 
I call out people and children that harass animals at zoos. I remember one time being in one of the aviaries at ZooTampa and two boys in their early teens screaming at the birds and tapping on the glass. The hornbill was getting upset, and me and another woman at the zoo yelled at the kids, and told them that harassing the animals was uncalled for. I also said something to the parents.
 
Enzo said:
Honestly, I feel like the average zoo visitor is more worried in taking selfies they can post on Instagram than actually enjoying the animals. That's not really annoying, but deeply saddening.
I know zoos are not the only place where this has become commonplace, but it's where I've seen it happen the most.
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On that matter, I hate when visitors block the way to take pictures. I get taking pictures of you with animals, but why at such random spots? I was at the zoo today and this woman blocked the whole path (on a walkway) to take pictures of one of her daughters/kids that were with her.
 
About animals being let out of walkthroughs. I have never seen it happen myself, but I can imagine it happening by accident. It seems that very few people understand why walkthrough enclosures will have double doors/gates. I frequently see people from the same family/group holding both open at the same time.

Another thing that has occurred to me. Look at online review sites for zoos and it won't be hard to find reviews from people saying most of the enclosures are empty. I wonder how often the following happens.
1 - Animal is visible in its enclosure happily going about its business with people quietly watching.
2 - A couple of unruly children run up shouting, screaming, jumping, climbing up things trying to get a look.
3 - Animal scampers off and hides.
4 - Parents of unruly children arrive at enclosure, but by now the animal has hidden itself away.
5 - Parents of unruly children go on TripAdvisor or similar complaining that they didn't see any animals.
 
At Twycross last week, where you can feed the Lorikeet.
There's even a massive sign you really can't miss that says they can't guarantee the birds will come and get the food.

We walked in, noticed a few people with nectar cups but none of the birds were interested. People trying to hold the cups right in front of them, nothing.
When we walked out, a guy was demanding his money back, because they had 3 or 4 pots, and were untouched.
He was making a scene.

In any case when you can feed animals, I'm not sure how you always think that goes?
Not to mention the big sign they put up about it.
If he has pets, I wonder if he force feeds his pets o_O
 
DolfiMike said:
Absolute: people who don´t know what animal they are looking at without consulting the infosign. So horrible (and at time very facepalm!)
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Although isn't it great that zoos provide informative signs so that people can educate themselves about animals? I've taken college coursework on animal behavior and have been a lifelong animal enthusiast, however even I occasionally encounter animals in zoos that I wasn't previously familiar with (typically some sort of small herp). Certainly, I'm glad that there are informative signs I can consult in these cases, and I appreciate when visitors similarly show a desire to learn more about animals they otherwise never heard of (even if the animals are common place to us).
 
KevinB said:
People who make howling noises around wolf exhibits.
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EVERY damn time. My time at a wolf exhibit is often cut short by a herd of unruly kids. -_-
DolfiMike said:
Absolute: people who don´t know what animal they are looking at without consulting the infosign. So horrible (and at time very facepalm!)
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And of course they make awful mistakes, like assuming tapirs are anteaters or Humboldt and African penguins should be in the snow and ice.
 
Once I politely asked a man and a woman to not tap on the glass of a cockroach terrarium. He asked if I worked there, and when I said no, he said “then why are you telling us what to do?!?”
 
NNM. said:
Once I politely asked a man and a woman to not tap on the glass of a cockroach terrarium. He asked if I worked there, and when I said no, he said “then why are you telling us what to do?!?”
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"Because a) I have good manners and b) do not appreciate people who molest animals. Now bless your heart and make hast, as I do desire we be better strangers."
 
NNM. said:
Once I politely asked a man and a woman to not tap on the glass of a cockroach terrarium. He asked if I worked there, and when I said no, he said “then why are you telling us what to do?!?”
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Every damn time with these people... Truth be told I don't bother to correct people anymore, I don't have time for their drama. I will report them to staff though.
 
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